ABSTRACT:Busy days, emotional work and the sometimes conflicting priorities of people, pets and community needs can put miles between what we do and WHY we do it. And, yet, that core motivation is one of our most valuable filters when considering how we do our work. What if the challenge isn’t the work itself, but HOW we do that work?

Once we take the time to articulate the why, then making choices about how we approach our work comes into focus with relative ease. After taking time to clarify our why, we’ll shift gears to discuss shelters who have been there and have used very practical methods to address the most common concerns with getting and staying within capacity and, thus, achieving their why through increasing welfare potential for pets AND people by reducing stressful interactions, gut-wrenching decisions and shifting the focus from the things we cannot control to the things we can.

KEY LEARNINGS:

Participants will go through an exercise to help them connect to their personal story and the animal and/or human welfare commitment they are hoping to achieve.

Practical methods to reduce length of stay, improve animal welfare through improved housing and manage to ideal capacity on an ongoing basis.

Communication methods to help both the shelter staff and the community understand "full" and the true capacity for care of both.

BIOS:

Dr. Cynthia Karsten graduated from the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine in 2010 and then completed a shelter medicine internship at Colorado State University. She finished her shelter medicine residency at UC Davis in 2014 and is now the outreach veterinarian with the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program. Her main areas of interest include infectious disease control, population management, intake diversion programs and community medicine. She has participated in numerous game-changing shelter consultations at both rural and urban, national and international animal care facilities, where she has identified solutions in the face of limited shelter resources. Dr. Karsten, as part of the UC Davis team, was a recipient of the 2016 CFHS Animal Welfare Leadership and Innovation Award for their work on C4C in Canada (one of her proudest achievements!).

B.J. Rogers is the the Chief Operating Officer of Echo & Co., a digital services and strategy firm working with mission-focused organizations to deploy digital technology in furthering positive impact and social change. Before joining Echo, B.J. worked for 12 years in the animal welfare field, most recently as Vice President of ProLearning at the ASPCA, where he led the team responsible for the organization’s online training and support of animal welfare professionals. Previously he was executive director of the Humane Society of Chittenden County.

ABSTRACT:An enrichment and training program is an essential tool to reduce animals’ stress and enhance their well-being during their stay at a shelter. However, lack of resources often makes its application difficult by staff. That is why the Montreal SPCA has implemented volunteer teams to manage this program with a minimum involvement from staff. During this presentation, you will discover the different stages that led to the creation of these teams, including all the benefits and downfalls.

KEY LEARNINGS:

The importance of an animal enrichment and training program.

Setting up an appropriate enrichment and training program.

Building successful teams.

BIO:It was while Patrice Robert was a veterinary assistant that he developed an interest in animal behaviour. In 1989, he began taking dog training courses and, in 1992, he started his own business offering training classes, boarding and grooming. During the summer of 2001, he took an intensive training course on the behavior of wolves and dogs. Two years later, he directed a study on the socialization of two Arctic wolves in collaboration with Garry Priest (San Diego Zoo) and Ray Coppinger (Hampshire College). Then he worked as trainer at the African Safari Park of Hemmingford (Quebec). He also participated in the rehabilitation of a monkey, as well as the training of parrots, pigs, cats and falcons besides having a potbellied pig for many years. He is now president of the Regroupement québécois des intervenants en éducation canine (RQIEC).

ABSTRACT:Much of the animal sheltering world has been focused on how to improve the lives of pets that end up in shelters. In this session, we will look at some of the key trends impacting animal welfare and veterinary medicine. We will then delve into some of the innovative approaches that are reaching out beyond the shelter walls and into the communities to help not only pet homelessness but really find ways to preserve, improve and grow the bond between people and pets. This will include a look at how animal welfare groups and veterinarians, both for-profit and not-for-profit, can benefit from each other. We will also examine the importance of animals in the human sector and look at how concepts like "One Health" will become more and more important when talking about the future of animal welfare.

KEY LEARNINGS:

Large-scale trends in animal welfare and how they impact the future.

A view of successful community-based programs that can be modeled for a variety of communities.

An understanding of the potential that is untapped in the relationship between animal welfare and veterinary medicine.

BIODr. Haston received a PhD in geophysics from the University of California Santa Barbara and a MBA in finance from Rice University. He has worked in the oil and gas industry and started and owned several successful businesses. In 2012, he dedicated himself full-time to animal welfare and now is the Chief Analytical Officer for PetSmart Charities. He also serves on the Boards of Emancipet, Animal Grant Makers, National Council on Pet Population and Shelter Animals Count.

ABSTRACT:While animal shelters are primarily involved in the welfare of domestic species, members of the public will still contact these organizations seeking assistance for sick, injured or orphaned native wildlife. Though animal shelters may lack the resources and expertise to provide long-term care and rehabilitation services for wildlife, the community still expects that an animal shelter should be able to provide assistance, regardless of the species.

In 2016, the Guelph Humane Society (GHS) established a Wildlife Committee to help with the temporary care and transfer of native wildlife to licensed rehabilitators. The committee, comprised of dedicated staff with varying levels of wildlife knowledge, admitted 638, 852 and (to date) 959 individual wildlife species in 2015, 2016 and 2017 respectively. Through ongoing training, GHS has seen success in the live release rate of transferred wildlife to rehabilitators and release, which has increased from 13 per cent in 2015, to more than 50 per cent in 2017.

KEY LEARNINGS:

An overview of the protocols and procedures implemented to make a wildlife transfer program a success.

The challenges in the temporary housing and care of various wildlife.

How to successfully build relationships with wildlife rehabilitators.

BIOS

Sarah Dykeman has been around animals her entire life and has always had a passion for their care and conservation. From life on the farm as the daughter of a large animal veterinarian, to working at a small animal clinic, zoos, parks, a wildlife rehab and now as an animal care attendant at the Guelph Humane Society, she continues to look for ways to expand upon her knowledge and experience in the field of animal care. She has completed her BSc in Zoology and MSc in Animal Behaviour and Welfare at the University of Guelph and has used her passion and background to help implement and improve the wildlife care initiatives at the Guelph Humane Society.

June Yang has worked in animal shelters for three years, but has been actively involved in wildlife rehabilitation and zookeeping for over a decade. She has received training through IWRC & OWREN , and in 2012 was a finalist for the New Noah Fellowship. June has assisted in the training and protocol development for wildlife programs at two animal shelters, and is currently the Adoption Program Coordinator at Guelph Humane Society.

ABSTRACT:Improving animal welfare is an endeavor of many independent organizations across the country. In order to most effectively aid animals in need, it is vital to develop and maintain strong working relationships between humane societies and SPCAs, rescue groups and municipal shelters.

For independent groups that decide to collaborate on animal-related initiatives, it is important to find a common goal to work towards, recognizing that groups may have different roles and responsibilities within the community. Exploring potential partnerships by identifying reputable groups, setting up clear expectations of each group and creating a written agreement are all necessary steps in establishing a successful collaboration. Formalized partnerships can provide many benefits to both organizations. Recognizing potential risks of a partnership can allow for proper planning and communication to mitigate problems.

KEY LEARNINGS:

Finding a common goal to work towards to establish your relationship.

Setting the expectations of each partner and putting them in writing.

The benefits of a partnership and how to identify and mitigate potential risks.

BIOS:

Stefanie Martin has a vast understanding of animal sheltering operations, having been with the Edmonton Humane Society (EHS) for eight years in a variety of roles. As Supervisor of Stakeholder Relations, she has overseen further development and growth of EHS’ volunteer program, foster program and rescue relations. A graduate from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Health, Stefanie has a passion for the complexities of animal welfare. Through innovation and collaboration, Stefanie believes nurturing relationships between organizations can help to advance animal welfare.

Deanna Thompson is the Executive Director of Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society (AARCS). A graduate from Mount Royal College, Deanna went on to complete her Bachelor of Management Degree in 2009 at University of Lethbridge. Since 2010, Deanna has lead of one of Alberta’s fastest-growing animal welfare agencies in Alberta. As an advocate for animal welfare, she has dedicated her life to improving animal welfare through collaboration, cooperation and continuous learning.

Under Deanna’s leadership, AARCS opened a 3,000 square foot quarantine shelter in Calgary in 2012, which resulted in dramatic growth for the organization. In 2017, the organization expanded operations to a 13,000 square foot facility, including a 3,000 square foot in-house veterinary hospital that features x-ray, diagnostics, dental and two operating suites. The organization current employs 17 staff members, including veterinary staff, behaviour staff and more than 1,400 volunteers and foster homes.

Focusing their efforts on rural areas of Alberta with limited or no animal services, AARCS rescues and adopts out approximately 2,500 cats and dogs each year, with the majority of their animals being cared for through their vast network of foster homes. With a vision of a Compassionate World for All Animals, AARCS focuses much of their work on improving animal welfare through Spay/Neuter & Disease Prevention Programs, Trap-Neuter-Return, Pet Assistance Programs, Emergency Foster Care and Humane Education.